Ebnst t



(No Model.)

B. T. ZELTNER P. SGHENK. UAS'ITANETE No. 283,550. Patented Aug. 21,1-883.

* [UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ERNST T. ZELTNER AND FREDERIK SOHENK, OF HOBOKEN, NEV JERSEY.

CASTAN ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,550, dated August21, 1883.

Application filed April 21, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Enns'r T. ZELTNER and FREDERIK SOI-IENK, both ofHoboken, in the county of Hudson andState of New Jersey, have invented anew and Improved Oastanet, of which the following specification is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a new castanet, which may be easily handled,and which enables the operator to play with great rapidity and toproduce a great variety of effects.

The invention consists, principally, in the combination of asounding-board with a strap, an insulator, and clappers which playagainst the soundingboard; also, in the details of constructionhereinafter more fully set out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofour improved castanet. Fig. 2 is a side view of the combinedsonndingboard and insulator thereof, and Fig. 3 a side view of one ofthe clappers.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The letter A represents ourimproved eastanet. It is composed,essentially, of three partsa combined sounding-board and insulator, theclappers, and a strap for attachment to the hand of the operator.

The sounding-board a is a plate of suitable dimensions, to one end ofwhich the clappersv I) are pivoted, and against the other end of whichsaid clappers are thrown by the fingers of the operator, as hereinafterdescribed. The sounding-board a is made in one piece, with an upwardlyand baekwardly curved attachment, 0, which we term the insulator; andwhich is provided with a strap, (Z, as shown, through which the hand ofthe operator may be slipped.

The clappers I) are pivoted'between circular projections e e of theplate a, which serve to hold them in a parallel position. The free endsof the clappers are made with enlarged heads f, which play against thesounding-board a to produce the sound.

In operation the instrument is held with the clappers downward, and thehand of the operator is passed under the strap d, and laid iipon theinsulator c. The fingers are curved around the end of the sounding-boarda, so that each of the four fingers rests directly under one of the fourclappers b. If the press ure of the hand is slightly relaxed, theclappers will by their gravity swing downward, and by then moving theends of the fingers upward in any desired order or with varying 5 forcethe instrument may be played in any desired manner.

Our improved castanet maybe made of hard wood or other suitablematerial. c

lVe claim as our invention 1. A eastanet composed of the soundingboard(I, insulator c, clappers I), and strap (7,

